And that's just in terms of the weather. As for life here at the middle school, perennial signs of transition are percolating in the hallways and classrooms. High energy, increased chatter, more bounce in the steps, enthusiasm for friends and collaboration, heightened interest in relationships.
Actually, wait...that's just about any time of year! :)
No, the real transitions I've noticed lately have more to do with how the students are showing signs of growth academically and in their approach to learning. From the start of the year until now - especially at the 6th grade level - there is so much growth around responsibility, autonomy, initiative and involvement. By now, so many students have found their middle school footing --> finding their "people," seeing ways in which they can be more involved in the school community, made new friends that weren't at the elementary schools, and figured out navigating the academics of middle school.
Are there always students who take longer? Will some students still need extra support, TLC, and guidance even during the last week of school? Won't most of them take inevitable "steps back" when the weather gets really nice? A resounding YES would be the answer to all these questions, but that's okay! After doing this for many years (19), you can sense when the kids have turned the corner and figured a lot of this stuff out. And to be honest, it's always exciting. A kid can find out any fact they want to learn online...heck, they can go online and learn about or how to do just about whatever they're interested in at this point. That's exciting, and also serves as a good dynamic to focus me on just what my mission is...developing kids who are critical thinkers, collaborators, inquisitive, driven, and purposeful.
We've turned the corner for sure. Spring is coming, and so is growth and maturity. Of course they're still works in progress, but really, aren't we all...?
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